2023 Year In Review

It’s hard to believe that 2023 is in the rearview mirror. For our team at Kojo, the year brought major growth for our contractor procurement platform, as well as a number of milestones we’re super proud of. 

Since our founding in 2018, we’ve built our platform to give contractors control over the materials procurement and management process. Across each of the seven material management steps, we’re dedicated to making the process easier, more efficient, and more sustainable as our users construct the world around us:

1. Planning 
2. Sourcing
3. Purchasing 
4. Requesting
5. Receiving
6. Invoice
7. Payments

With that in mind, we’re hugely proud of what we accomplished in 2023, from shipping a ton of brand-new features to signing our biggest customer to date. Kojo supports the plan-to-pay process, but specifically, we help make the day-to-day work easier for individuals working in the office, the warehouse, the field, and on finance teams. So without further ado, here’s a rundown of what we built in 2023, and how they make materials management better.

For Office Teams

For purchasing and project managers, we introduced several important new features: 

• RFQ Improvements‍

RFQ Scanning, one of our top requested features, lets customers compare previously received RFQs line by line, removing this heavy manual lift that often leads to spending more on materials. 

RFQ Vendor grouping is another automation that can send RFQs to the same group so procurement professionals don’t need to manually re-enter the same data over and over again. 

• Change orders 

With the ability to execute change orders, office teams can be more flexible and responsive to project changes in the field. 

• Item-to-item mapping 

This is all about greater connectivity between orders and requisitions, setting customers up for better materials tracking and insights. 

• Sourcing grid

This is a visual and intuitive way for contractors to compare quotes from multiple vendors side by side, giving contractors pricing transparency for easy decision making.

• Customizations

Because contractors have unique processes and needs, customizations were built throughout the platform, like custom automated emails, PDF fields, requisition titles, and CC rules, so office teams could make Kojo their own. 

For Field Teams 

This year, we introduced a new Kojo Product team dedicated to improving the experience for field teams. Their primary goal is to make Kojo loved by field teams. They started with listening to their requests and made vast improvements to Kojo’s mobile and web app. 

• Expanded Quick Order

Quick Order is one of Kojo’s most popular features, because it makes ordering materials in the field just like ordering anything else online.  So, we made it bigger and better, adding ductwork, HVAC, plumbing and more images everywhere. 

• Home Screen

This brand new addition for field teams makes it easier for them to get where they are going.  

• Multiple Shopping Carts

You have multiple jobs with multiple phases or building areas happening at once. Or even multiple people sharing one tablet trying to order materials. Sound familiar?  Now you can create multiple shopping carts in each job to get organized and proactive with the materials you need.

• Easier searching and ordering 

No more searching multiple lists for materials. Searching in Kojo is now built to get answers on the go by putting materials all in one place. Once you find the material you need, just tap and add to the cart.  

• Jobsite attachments

Field teams can now easily share attachments back to the office right in the app. 

• All devices 

Laptops, tablets or phones. Whatever teams are using on jobsites, Kojo now has you covered. 

For Warehouse Teams 

Throughout 2023, we invested heavily in improving Kojo Warehouse. We focused on connecting the full picture of the warehouse to the rest of the “7-step” process, and made sure warehouse teams had all of the details they needed to transform the way they work. 

• Tool Tracking

This was a huge win for warehouse teams in 2023 that resulted in better communication, better connectivity and incredible cost savings. Tool Tracking provides clear visibility into tool inventory and allows customers to track, document maintenance, and proactively prevent tool loss, theft, and breakage.

• Inventory values

The value of what sits in a warehouse is no longer a mystery as customers can now see the total dollar amount of materials across a single or many warehouses, in real time. 

• Inventory transparency

Kojo customers can see pictures of their warehouse inventory, know exactly where materials are, down to the shelf and bin, and be alerted when they are running low on any materials. 

• Office connectivity 

Warehouse teams are now included in the requisition approval process, giving them better control over their own inventories. Plus, our work in building out ERP integrations connects warehouses directly to accounting systems. 

• Ship from warehouse to field 

Procurement and field teams are now able to ship warehouse materials right to job sites, cutting down on costs and eliminating unnecessary steps. 

For Finance Teams 

A new team was brought into the Kojo universe in 2023. Finance teams complete the 7 steps of material management and we are so excited about what Kojo has built for them. 

• Automated invoice matching

This feature automatically compares the PO, delivery ticket, and invoice, and instantly highlights exceptions so you can send them straight back to the vendor, reducing errors before they can cascade.

• ERP integrations

Kojo and accounting platforms are now in sync for customers who use:

• Sage 300
• Acumatica 
• Foundation 
• ComputerEase 

• Bill pay 

One of our hottest new features, Kojo now allows subcontractors to make an ACH or check payment within the platform, instead of having to do that in their own ERP, bank, or third-party bill pay tool. Fewer jumps between platforms mean fewer errors for everyone.

• Invoice efficiencies 

Finance teams can now scan invoices directly into our system, and upload multiple invoices at the same time. 

And Beyond

2023 was a big year for us in terms of milestones and accomplishments. Here are a handful of highlights we’re most proud of: 

• We launched integrations with more than 40 of the leading Electrical and Mechanical suppliers, making it easier and faster for contractors to get quotes and place orders with their suppliers.
• We became an official national sponsor of the Heavy Metal Summer Experience program, a summer camp program that introduces high school students to career options in the trades. 
• We signed on our biggest customer to date, Power Design, Inc. (ranked #12 in Electrical on ENR’s 2023 Top Specialty Contractors list).
• And last but not least, Fast Company named Kojo as one of 2023’s “Next Big Things in Tech”. Plus, our CEO Maria Davidson was featured by Forbes, CNBC, and won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 Bay Area Award.

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From the office to the field to the warehouse to the finance desk, 2023’s new features and product improvements are already making an impact with our customers. 

From all of us here at Kojo, thank you for being part of our journey to make purchasing materials and managing inventory a breeze. We couldn’t have had such an exciting 2023 without you, and we cannot wait to show you what 2024 has in store.

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